Being Loved

It was a very long day today for so many reasons, but one being my head was (and is) really hurting. But I was still reading to my kids before bed and they chose The Velveteen Rabbit.
I love the moral of the story. Let me share a part of it with you...
One day the Rabbit asked the Suede Horse, "What is Real? Does it mean having batteries or lights?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Suede Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child really loves you, that is when you become Real."
Later in the story it goes on to say how the Rabbit got so raggedy from being loved so much. Some of his fur rubbed off and his pink ears turned gray, but the boy didn't notice. He thought his Rabbit was beautiful.
I love that. It's how I feel today. I feel like the rabbit, though I don't have fur, my hair is turning gray and I feel raggedy.
But I am loved. My kids (and my husband) think I'm beautiful even when I don't get to take a shower, even when my head hurts.
I am loved. I am real. I am learning that being real is something that happens to you. With time and love you become real.